The Sustainable Voice® Presented by Big Five Tours & Expeditions

Planting Red Mangroves in Cartagena - The Sustainable Voice

Red Mangroves represent more than planting trees. This is the beginning of a movement by local communities in the islands near Cartagena to protect their land and understand the benefits of preserving red mangroves in their natural environment.

Before the pandemic, the mangroves and surrounding shorelines were largely ignored and covered in waste and plastic. Today, the local people, mostly fishermen who were hardest hit during the pandemic, have a sense of home and a sense of belonging in these islands all thanks to the planting of red mangroves.

For more information, visit our website.

Anti-Poaching Efforts and the Periyar Wildlife Reserve in India

The Periyar Wildlife Reserve, also known as Periyar Tiger Reserve, is in the mountainous Western Ghats of Kerala, southern India. It is a wildlife sanctuary and is home to not only tigers but a significant elephant population in addition to rare lion-tailed macaques, sambar deer, leopards, and Indian bison.

In this episode, Ashish talks about the challenges surrounding dealing with the ramifications of poaching - not only from an animal protection perspective but also from the perspective of what drives the motivations behind poaching. 

For more information about Ashish and Big Five Tours, click here.

Ereto Primary School - The Sustainable Voice Podcast

In 2013, the headmaster started approaching surrounding Maasai communities in Ntulelei, Tanzania asking parents to allow their children to attend school. In this area, children have no access to any local government-run schools, nor do they have the means to travel to any outside of their villages.

The Maasai people of the area are primarily farmers, and their children start at a young age learning how to manage the farm and daily duties. The responsibility these kids take on at an early age leaves little or no time for schooling. These farms are how they put food on the table and a roof over their heads. Out of the 300 surrounding communities, China was successful in bringing 20 kids together, starting on a literal patch of dirt, the Ereto primary school’s story begins.

Over the past five-plus years, Big Five’s nonprofit, the Spirit of Big Five Foundation, along with partnered contributors helped make this dream a reality.

First, it provided the concrete for the foundation and walls, then followed the desks and a blackboard, a long-awaited roof, and much-needed windows and doors, most recently metal shelves to prevent termites from eating the books. Along with the large construction-related donations, there were also books, supplies, shoes, and much more for the kids and teachers.

Today, more than 215 kids are working hard towards their education in much improved conditions.

The headmaster is currently working to build a teacher’s dormitory as the teachers must travel up to 18 miles, on the back of a truck for the first 11 miles, if they catch one, then by foot, uphill, through the mud for the remainder.

The dormitory will include two rooms and a kitchen, with room to expand. The goal is for the teachers to be able to make the transit less often, staying the night when needed.

With teachers refreshed and well-rested, kids eager and excited to learn, the school will continue to bloom with an expected 300 students by 2022. For more information, visit their website by clicking here.

Comuna 13 and the Rise of Community-Based Tourism in Colombia

Community-based tourism around Medellin such as that in Comuna 13 has revitalized this city from the depths of devastation to a leader in sustainable tourism in Colombia. For more information, visit our website

Teach a Person to Weave & More Lessons Learned in Awamaki

Micro-entrepreneurship among females in developing nations is always a struggle, but a new partnership in the Andean communities aims to change that through tourism. Ashish talks about weaving, travel, and an unforgettable experience in Awamaki. 

Mbulia Man Eating Lions & The Journal of Colonel John Patterson

In this episode, Ashish talks about his travels to Kenya, specifically the Mbulia Conservancy, and the famous account of Colonel John Patterson. Don't forget to subscribe to never miss an episode!

Kipi the Robot & the Peruvian Andes

In this episode, Ashish talks about Kipi the Robot and what it does for the community around it in the Peruvian Andes! Listen for the full story and subscribe today to never miss an episode! 

Illescas Peninsula, Northern Peru‘s Hidden Treasure

On the coast of northern Peru, 186 miles from the Ecuadorian border and 559 miles from the coast of the Galapagos, is a little know treasure known as the Illescas Peninsula. Nestled between the Sechura desert and the beaches of Sechura Bay, Illescas is a stretch of mostly flat desert covered in small rolling hills and short trees and shrubs. Still wild and natural, there is very little habitation in this area not even with the locals. 

Requiring many hours of 4X4 driving over the coast and across the desert, it is partially protected by natural means. However, it is not unreachable. Presenting a quiet and secluded retreat, there is only one hotel with four rooms serving 76,000 hectares. With options such as sandboarding, hiking, birdwatching, and kite surfing for enjoyment, it is a home far, far away from home.

Take a listen for more details and subscribe today to never miss an episode! 

The Sustainable Voice Presented by Big Five Tours & Expeditions (Podcast Trailer)

Welcome to The Sustainable Voice Presented by Big Five Tours & Expeditions! Hosted by Ashish Sanghrajka, in each episode we will be traveling around the world exploring the unknown and unheard stories of the people and projects that are actively trying to make the world a better, more habitable and sustainable place for everyone. Subscribe today to stay up to date with each new episode that comes out.